mobile first design

Google is indexing Mobile-first designs over mobile-friendly websites – know the difference!

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There’s no denying that mobiles have taken center-stage in our lives. Anything you search for, order online, or use an application, out comes the smartphone! You can get what you want within just a few clicks.

While mobiles were initially designed to connect people via calls and messages, the device has evolved remarkably through the years. The mobile phone has found its way integrated into our lives for various purposes, from counting our footsteps to booking a doctor’s appointment and ordering food online, among other uses.

Therefore, more and more brands are looking to create a website for their business; one that is mobile-friendly. If you’re wondering about where to find the best website design company, let us know!

However, what’s the whole buzz about mobile-first designs, and how are mobile-friendly websites different?

Why your business needs a mobile-first website design

This buzz has been around since 2019, but businesses are reaping the outcome of not having mobile-first websites now. As you read further, you will understand why mobile-first websites are more preferred.

To build long-term success for your business, designing a website that is mobile-first and not just mobile-friendly is crucial.

Responsive websites are designed for the desktop first. After that, the website dimensions are adjusted according to the screen size of mobiles or tablets. 

Responsive websites use a ‘fluid grid’ that shrinks font sizes and moves elements into a single column as the screen size reduces. However, many companies are realizing that they need to reverse the direction of their website design.

The main challenge faced by website designers and developers does not lie in the making of a website. It is adjusting and adapting the website’s size to fit the devices smaller than a desktop or laptop screen.

The solution revolves around commencing the designing of a website keeping the smartphone screen size in mind. Therefore, the website design company will first create a website that is designed for mobiles and then scale it up to larger screens.

Benefits of having a mobile-first design

While writing for mobile-based websites, the content communicated is automatically trickled down to conveying relevant information. The website in this case, would not have information crowded around a topic unless necessary.

It is essential to note that Google favors mobile-friendly websites in providing excellent user experience and enhancing the brand’s discoverability.

Benefits from having a mobile-first website design:

  • Boosts conversion rates
  • Generates more leads
  • Web page design is aligned with smartphone features
  • Saves cost on building expensive apps
  • Increases reach and visibility
  • Enables easy and quick navigation

Google indexes mobile-first websites

Aren’t the above benefits mentioned also what websites fitted to larger screens offer? Well, the catch is that since 2019, Google has switched over to mobile-first indexing.

Therefore, Google search algorithms analyze the content on a site’s mobile version and rank it accordingly in search results. Therefore, if you are not focusing on giving your target audience the best mobile experience, Google will show them your competitors who are doing a better job.

Remember that your brand has to thrive in a competitive space, and therefore, search engines will pick websites that are designed in the best interest of its online browsers.

That said, mobile-first websites will work towards providing the best user experience. This means that when adding content to the website, including designs, call-to-action, information, and so on, the most crucial elements of the products and services will be given highest priority.

Compared to TV channels and print ads, many companies advertise for their brands via smartphones. Therefore, there is more money to be made on smartphones, like social media sponsored ads that drive higher traffic to websites.

How to make sure your business has a mobile-first website design

Follow these essential steps to ensure that the website design company that you hire delivers the following:

  • Consider different user scenarios for each page site to adjust the user’s journey accordingly.
  • Establish a visual hierarchy of the communication that needs to be delivered on the website via the content.
  • Lose crowded writing and incorporate only what interests your website visitors.
  • Allow readers to first view your page titles on top with article previews above the fold. This enables readers to read and understand the content easily.
  • If it is necessary to add more content then divide the long copies into various skimmable one-liner paragraphs.
  • No one likes a crowded space, and this applies to websites as well. Therefore, make sure that your website has enough white space with minimal designs and text.
  • Use a few pages on your website.
  • Make sure that the navigation menu has few links rather than more.

Creating a mobile-first website design requires the expertise of a website design company. While you can make sure that the above conditions are applied, leave the creative execution to the specialists.

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